Autumn

We made several tentative plans for this weekend.

Firstly I was supposed to take part in a mountain bike race on Sunday, but that idea was ditched last weekend when I realised that I was in no shape to complete it, let alone enjoy it at all. That turned out to have been an inspired idea as the weather was horrible all day yesterday - cold wet and windy.

Then we considered going to Sweden for a family outing to have a trip on the ferry and get out of the house. In the end this idea was also ditched to avoid sitting in the car for 5 or 6 hours with 2 bored kids and spending 1000kr (approx £100 or $200) on ferry tickets, bridges and petrol before considering any other costs. (See the earlier post for money saving tips)

Finally I wanted to ride my new bike, and I did. I rode to K&Ls house and took L for a very gentle 25km ride and then returned home. I managed to get in 75km in the sunshine only having to battle the strong wind. My conclusion is that the bike is fantastic, it is very light but at the same time stiff so that there is no flexing when you ride out of the saddle. The main selling point of this frame is the smoothness of the ride and that didn't disappoint either, a lot of the road vibration is absorbed making everything feel super smooth. It is a bit of a shame that they couldn't get the saddle I wanted, it will take a little more time before I decide for sure if I can make friends with the one that was put on...